Kneeling stool



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,893

U. ST. MARlE ET AL KNEELING STOOL Filed Niv. 5, 1924 g ATTORNEY.

Patented ent. 22,

7 UNlTED STATES P ATENT'OFFICE.

uLnIo sr. MARIE AND enonen resume, or PUTNAM, connnc'rxcu'r.

' KNEELING STOOL.

Application filed November 5, 1924. Serial No. 747,921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ULRIG Sr. MARIE and Greece Bremen, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Putnam, in the county of fi indham and Stateof Connecticut, have V invented certain new and useful Improvemerits inKneeling; Stools, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlon relates to kneeling stools or boards employed in churchesand associated with the'pews, and has for one of its objects to simplifyand improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility ofdevices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich may be associated without material change with pews of variousforms and sizes, and which automatically assumes a vertical orinoperative position when released.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a rear view of a conventional church pew with the improvedkneeling stool associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a transverse section, enlarged, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,looking in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the body portion of theimproved device.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail, illustrating a modification in theconstruction.

The improved device comprises a body portion 10 of any desired materiallength and width but preferably of wood and adapted, generally, toextend between the pew ends, or between the pew ends and theintermediate support of the seat and back portions of the pew.

For the purpose of illustration the improved device is shown extendingbetween the ends 11-12 of a conventional pew, the seat of the pew beingindicated at 13 and the back at 14.

Attached to the body 10 at the ends are metal members 15 and 16 with themajor portions at one side of the longitudinal center of the body, thelargest ends to opcrate as balancing weights, as hereafter eX- plained;

Projecting respectively from the members 15 and 16 are pivot pins orstuds 17 and 18, the latter located at the opposite side of thelongitudinally central axis f the body, and toward the lighter side ofthe members 15 and 16, as shown.

Disposed within the space between the pew ends are standards 19 and 20in which the studs 17 and 18 are received, as shown g 111 Figure 1. Bythis means the body 10 and its attachments 15 and 16 is swinginglysupported between the standards, and normally held in vertical positionas shown in Figure 1, by the extra weight at one end of the members 15,16 as will be obvious.

The standards 19 and 20 are shown attached to the confronting faces ofthe pew ends, but it will be understood that the standards can besupported in any other desired manner, or the pew ends may be employedto support the studs, as shown in Figure 4.

Attached to the rear face of the body 10 is a bracket 21 havingperforated ears to receive a pivot 22 by means of which a prop or leg 23is swingingly coupled to the body, and adapted to bear upon the floor,indicated at 24, when the body is turned into horizontal position asshown in Figure 2.

When the body is in its upper or inoperative position, as shown inFigures 1 and 2, the prop 23 automatically pssumes a position inparallel relation to the body, and also automatically assumes theposition shown in Figure 2, when the body 10 is moved into horizontalposition or when the body is turned downwardly, and thus operates tohold the body from moving beyond a horizontal position.

Cushion elements 25 and 26 of rubber or the like are attachedrespectively to the body 10 and to the floor 24, as shown, to receivethe impact of the prop both in open and closed position, to preventnoise when the device is operated.

l Vhen the occupant of the pew desires to use the device, the body isturned down manually against the resistance of the weights 15 and 16 anduntil the body is in horizontal position with the prop 23 bearing on thecushion 26, when the weight of the kneeling person will hold it inhorizontal position. As the kneeling person rises and removes his weightfrom the body 10, the weights 15 and 16 will overbalance the body andreturn it to vertical position as shown in Figure 1.

The body when in vertical or inoperaive position will be out of the pathof persons enteringuor leaving the pew, andwill also be 'outo't the wayof brooms, mops, or other cleaning implements. U a

The preferred einbodiment of the invention is disclosed in, the drawingsand set forth in the specification, but it will be understood thatmodifications Within the scope of the claimed invention may be made inthe constrnction Without departing from the principle of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed is:

-1. A device of the class described comprising a body having its endsdirected reversely oblique tothe longitudinal axis of the same,extensions to said body and at tached to the ends thereof, saidextensions being of heavier material than the material of the body Withthe confronting edges directed .reversely oblique to correspond to andengage the oblique ends of the body and With their outer edges at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of thebody and of the extensions, pinsextending from said extensions and disposed toward the narrower andlighter side of the same, and supports to rotatively receive said pins,whereby the heavier portions oi the extensions operate as eights tocause the body to be retained normally in vertical position by gravity.

2. A device of, the classydescribed comprising an intermediate bodyextensions of heavier material than the body attached to the ends of thesame andiormingcontinuations thereoflpins extendinght'rom said e2;-tensions and disposed at one side of the longitndinal center of the bodyand of the extensions, and stationary supports having seats to receivesaid pins, whereby the extensions operate as Weights to cause the bodyand its extensions, to be retained in vertical position by gravity.

In testimony whereof, We atiix our signatures hereto.

ULRIC sT. MARIE. GEORGE BERNIER.

